Crowding is the lack of space for all the teeth to fit normally within the jaws. The teeth may be rotated or displaced. Crowding occurs when there is disharmony in the tooth to jaw size relationship, or when the teeth are larger than the available space. Crowding can be caused by early or late loss of primary teeth, improper eruption of teeth, or a genetic imbalance between jaw and tooth size.

Crowding should be corrected because it can:

• Make it much more difficult to properly clean all the surfaces of your teeth.
• Increase the chances of dental decay (because of inadequate cleaning).
• Increase the chances of gum disease (because of inadequate cleaning).